Rail-joint construction.



PATENTBD DEC. 19, 1905.

F. SHERWOOD. RAIL JOINT CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 9, 19o-1.

Pfg. 2.

TTO NEYQS'.

UNITED 'SaUYIESk PATENT OFFICE,

'FRED sHERwOOD, OF ROME, New YORK, AssieNoR OF ONE-FOURTH 'ro B. D. KNEELAND, or ROME, NEW YORK.

RAIL-JOINT CONSTRUCTION. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed November 9, 1904. Serial No. 231,968.

To' @ZZ whom it may con/cern.y

Be it known that I, FRED SHERWOOD, acitivzen of the United States, residing at Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joint Construction, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved railjoint construction; and I declare that the following' is a full, clear, concise, and ,exact description thereof sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters and numerals refer to like parts throughout.

My invention consists of a structure to be used at the joint of rails, and comprises the various elements, formation, and arrangement shown and described, including achair or base for the support of the adjacent ends of rails I with means secured on or integral therewith forlengaging one side of the base portion of the rail and the adjacent web and tread thereof and also having on the under side of the chair means for engaging with the ties the bed structure or the members which support the rails. I

The purpose of my invention is to provide a chair or support underneath the joint of the rails, so as to hold the ends true against the tendency to vertical play as weight passes thereover and also to hold them true against lateral movement and to prevent a rail end from becoming displaced and prevent the ends from buckling or getting out of their true position in the rail-line.

A further purpose is to prevent the running of the rails, as is sometimes apparent. In rail structures it is found that the pressure of the stock on the rails tends to flatten them found that this expansion of the rails will frequently carry a joint an appreciable distance along the rail-bed, so that the adjacent ends of rails will not rest over a tie so as to be supported thereon, but will corne between ties,

lwhen it becomes natural and inevitable that the ends should be hammered and liattened and by the passing of the rolling-stock the railline or rail structure gets out of true alinement. For the purpose of obviating these dangers and curing the difficulties as above specified, together with others, I have devised the structure shown in the accompanying drawings and specication.

' In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my structure supported on the ties and supporting the rails. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, and Fig. 3 is an opposite side view. Fig. 4 is a cross-section view of one rail on the line w of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a like view on the line 3/ y of Fig. 3.

Referring to the figures more in detail, A represents railroad-ties.

B represents the base of my chair construction, which has a length suflicient to reach over a plurality of ties and is formed of sufficient width to support the rail, which is of ordinary construction, having a base l, a web 2, and a tread 3. At one edge of the base B is provided integral therewith or xed thereto a member C, which is longitudinal of the base and rises from the edge, whence it turns toward the middle on such a line, and leaving such a space as will receive the corresponding side of the base 1 of the rail, as is clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 5. The member then rises vertically, as shown by D, having its outer surface substantially parallel with the web of the rail and having on its inner surface contactridges d 0l, which bear against the web, there being longitudinal space between the web of the rail and the portion D, through which bolt-holes lare provided for the bolts D to' hold the rail to the vertical webbed member D. This webbed member terminates at the upper edge in a surface adapted to fit against the lower curved face of the rail-tread, as shown at d'. On the opposite side of the rail I provide plate F, which is shown as having a web portion and a base portion F, though it need not be given such form as shown. It is properly secured by the bolts and spikes.

In employing my device as thus far eX- plained the rails are laid on the base B with suitable distance between their ends and are crowded with'one edge of the base into the recess provided under the part C of the chair construction, the upper edge of the portion D coming under the lower face of the rail- IOO tread, when the bolts are passed through the holes provided therefor and the rails secured to the base portion. Spikes are used passing through the edge of the chair-base, as shown by 4, securing it and the lrail to the tie, and spikes (shown at 5) are used on the opposite side, passing through cut-outs in the edge of the chair-base and engaging the base of the rail. Beneath the chair I provide downwardlydepending members E, integral therewith or liXedly secured thereto, of which suflicient number is provided under each chair, leaving space therebetween and on thev outside of the outer ones for engaging the ties A. I illustrate the members E as cut out on the under face to provide facilities for the passing of wire or for drainage, the essential feature being that they have sufficient strength and bearing-surface to hold the chair from being moved along and carrying the rail-joint out of its p0- sition above a tie. To fully meet the latter requirement, they are extended transversely the width of the chair, or more, so as to provide abundant bearing-surface against the tie without the possibility of the surface eating into the tie or injuring it and thus lessening its utility for holding the chair firmly to the ties and the latter and the chair in proper position relatively to the rail.

It will of course be apparent that various modifications may be made in the form of' my invention as I have illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which it will be seen provides a rigid support for the rail ends, holding' them securely thereon and keeping the chair or supporting means from moving relatively to the ties, and consequently preventing the joint of the rails coming between ties.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rail-joint comprising ties, rails, a longitudinal chair comprising the wide base arranged beneath adjacent rails and overlying a plurality of ties and having on .one side a longitudinal web extending over one side of the rail-bases and up along the webs of the rails, whereby said wide base can slide freely transversely under the rail-bases, a separate plate arranged longitudinally along the opposite sides of the rail webs and bases, clampingbolts passing through the webs of the adjacent rails, said plate and said chair-web, the rail ends being arranged over a tie, and said chair having transversely-arranged abutments depending between and engaging the side faces of the ties, substantially as described.

2. A rail-joint comprising ahorizontal elongated chair comprising the base arranged beneathapprox'imately the full width of adjacent rails with the ends thereof at the central portion of the chair and over a tie, the opposite longitudinal .edges of said chair being notched beyond the rail-bases to receive spikes securing the same to the several ties, said chair fitting over one side of the rail bases and webs and bolted thereto and open at the opposite side to receive the rails,` and having a plurality of rigid abutmentsdepending at the vertical faces of the several ties to lhold the rail-joint against creeping, substantially as described.

3. A rail -joint comprising an elongated chair having .the unobstructed side opening to laterally receive the end portions of two adjoining rails and consisting of a longitudinal base under said two rail-end portions and in width approximately equal to the width of the rail-bases and overlying several ties and having a plurality of rigid depending abutments engaging the edges of lthe several ties to hold the chair and ties in fixed relation, and a web portion receiving one side of the rail 'bases and webs, a longitudinal plate engaging the opposite side of the rail-webs, and means clamping said plate and chair and `rail,- webs together, substantially as described.

4. A rail-joint comprising a chair elongated to rest on a'plurality of ties and openthroughout one side to laterally receive the end portions of two adjoining rails and consisting of the longitudinal base extending completely across and supporting said railend portions and formed at its opposite longitudinal edges to receive means, beyond the rail-bases, for fastening the chairtoties and having'the rigid abutments depending at the vertical faces of the several ties and a web portion fitting over onevside of the .rail-bases and one face of the rail-webs, and'means securing said chair-web portion to the rail-webs, substan` tially as described.

In testimony whereof 'l aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED SHERWOOD.

Witnesses:

JOHN P. DAY, HENRY M, LovE. 

